


Food For Thought

by Oriole T (inamac)



Category: Blake's 7
Genre: Dragons, Humor, Innuendo, Multi, Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1983-08-10
Updated: 1983-08-10
Packaged: 2017-10-11 00:56:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/106454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inamac/pseuds/Oriole%20T
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vila's new pet has unusual appetites.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Food For Thought

"Zen, take us out of orbit and set course for that life capsule, speed standard by four."

Avon turned away from the screen as the computer confirmed its acceptance of the order. He had heard Vila coming onto the flight deck and had been saving some choice comments for the thief relating to his activities on the planet which they had just vacated. The acid words died on his lips.

"What is _that_?"

Vila looked behind him and jumped, for the very good reason that a large green reptilian creature had followed him onto the flight deck.

Finding the first open space since leaving the cramped conditions of the ship's corridors it rocked back onto its clawed hind feet and stretched out its wings to their full twenty foot span, knocking one of the flight seats flying in the process. It yawned luxuriously and green saliva dripped from its eight inch fangs to burst into flames as it hit the consoles. Its spiked and forked tail thudded into the wall behind it.

"Oh no!"

The beast closed its mouth and looked affectionately at the thief, crooning in its throat as it bent its head. with the gesture of a cat asking to be stroked. Avon returned his gun to its holster and stepped up to Vila. He favoured him with his most intimidating frown.

"Well?"

"Honestly, Avon, I was going to leave it behind. How was I to know it can teleport? I didn't even mean to bid for it. The auctioneer..."

"Saw you coming." Avon finished. He repeated his question. "What is it?"

"The guy who sold it to me called it a dragon. His name is Pufth."

"Well it can't stay here." Avon eyed the creature very firmly. The beast backed off a couple of paces and its tail stopped thumping. It did not look at all happy. Vila had been on the receiving end of that look from Avon often enough to sympathise. However it was his dragon, paid for with his own credits - at least, they'd been his when he'd handed them over to the auctioneer. He wasn't sure who had owned the temptingly fat belt-pouch from which he had acquired them. He faced Avon.  
"We're out of teleport range of the planet now. He'll have to stay. Unless you want to try throwing him out of an airlock?"

"It may come to that," Avon observed coldly.

"Over my dead body - and probably yours if you annoy him. We can drop him on the next friendly planet."

"We won't reach that for two weeks. We have to pick up that life capsule first. It won't be operating for much longer according to Zen."

Vila shrugged. "All right. After that."

+++

But it was not going to be that easy, as Avon tersely pointed out. Aside from the fact that Pufth was far too large to keep on the flight deck they would have to find food for the beast, There was some deliberation on that point which was resolved, in a way, by asking Orac to check the Federation files for any information on the diet of dragons. They received a wealth of information, most of it in metrical and almost incomprehensible English which, when deciphered, revealed the interesting fact that the usual diet the common dragon is young, freshly killed, human virgins. As Orac imparted this information Cally arrived on the flight deck.

The dragon turned eagerly at sound of her entrance. Its nostrils widened, its long tongue flicked over dripping fangs and, before either of the men could move... An expression of disgusted disappointment crossed its reptilian features. Vila breathed an audible sigh of relief and was about to make a comment when Avon cut in tersely.

"At least your pet can distinguish an alien from a human."

Cally missed the look which the two men exchanged. She chucked the beast under the chin. "He's sweet. Where did he come from?"

"He's Vila's," said Avon, as if that explained everything.

Vila stopped wondering how Avon could be so certain that Pufth was good at recognising aliens and sprang to the beast's defence. "He is sweet, isn't he, Cally? You don't mind if he stays?"

"As long as I don' t have to feed him," she replied, and then turned "that reminds me. Have either of you seen Tarrant lately?"

"He teleported me up..." Vila began - and then stopped, remembering that his new pet had materialised. after he had left the teleport section but while Tarrant was still there. And Tarrant was undeniably human. At least, Vila amended mentally, human enough for a dragon. He looked at the beast. It blinked, and licked its lips.

Cally was baffled by their silence. She turned to Avon. "Do you think that something has happened to Tarrant?"

"I hope," replied Avon, with careful neutrality, "for Tarrant's sake, that he has met a fate worse than death." He and Vila left the flight deck at a run, leaving C ally to ponder over the strange ways of humans. She shrugged arid put out a hand to scratch the dragon's head.

It purred.

The teleport section was deserted, as was Tarrant's cabin and the recreation area. Vila paused as they reached the end of the corridor.

"I've just thought: don't you think that I should make sure that Dayna's safe?... I mean, warn her about..." His voice trailed off. The expression on Avon's face was one he had never seen before. He could have sworn that the man was trying desperately not to laugh. His voice certainly sounded a little strained.

"I never thought that you'd go to these lengths to gain access to Dayna' s cabin. She must have fixed a very good lock to her door."

"She's got it wired up to an automatic stun device..." Vila stopped and met Avon's eyes sheepishly.

"So that's why I found you unconscious in the corridor." Avon still wasn't smiling but as he turned away Vila was certain that he hoard a stifled snort. However Avon was already moving down the corridor. "We'll both check on Dayna. Maybe she knows where Tarrant is."

+++

The door to Dayna's cabin was locked and Avon, taking no chances, used the communicator. Her reply to his query sounded sleepy and annoyed.

"Yes. What is it?"

"We' re looking for Tarrant. Do you know where he is?"

There was a scuffle from inside the room. Dayna had obviously left the bed, for her voice sounded quite close to the transmitter. "Is it urgent?"

Avon grinned. "That depends on Tarrant."

There was a slight hesitation, and then: "I think he said that he was going to check on the lower holds. Try there. I'll help you. Give me minute."

Avon was still smiling.

"Right. We're going."

He cut the connection and clasped Vila's shoulder, hurrying him along the corridor and. around the corner. He halted abruptly at a point where they could watch the door of Dayna's cabin without being seen. Vila caught his breath long enough to protest.

"Hey, we were going to tell her about the dragon..." He broke off, partly because Avon had put a silencing hand. across his mouth but mainly because the door to Dayna's cabin had opened and a figure emerged to scuttle down the corridor at a crouching run, an untidy bundle of hastily gathered clothes clutched in his arms. Naked, Tarrant vanished into his cabin at the far end of the corridor.

Avon held his hand over Vila's mouth for a few seconds longer until the stifled laughter ceased, then he released the thief. Vila wiped away tears.

"Well, I suppose Pufth will just have to go hungry. At least until we can drop him somewhere."

Avon nodded. "I shall ask Orac to select a suitable planet. The task should tax his resources somewhat."

"Keep him quiet for the next few months, probably."

They returned to the flight deck.  
In fact it took Orac very nearly a week to find a new home for the dragon. Fortunately the beast seemed quite contented with its diet of alien foodstuff which Cally discovered among the Liberator's stores, and its nest in one of the cargo holds soon became littered with empty cans.

+++

Ten days later they made contact with the life support capsule. Avon took the controls to bring it inboard, despite protests from Tarrant that _he_ was the pilot of the Liberator. On this occasion Avon wasn't taking any chances, and this was a manoeuvre which he had executed before. Much to Tarrant's chagrin he timed it perfectly. At last the hold doors closed, all systems were set back to. neutral, and the crew of the Liberator went down to see what they had. picked up.

The doors of the hold swung open to reveal the capsule standing in the centre of the vast area. As they watched the hatch lifted like the raised wing of a preening bird. and a man stepped out.

It was Blake.

There was a stunned silence from the watchers. Cally recovered first. She took a pace forward, and turned as movement caught her attention.

The dragon was lifting itself from its nest. Its wings spread wide, its claws unsheathed, its dorsal ridge raised with needle sharp spines gleaming. And it was grinning.

Hungrily.

~FIN~

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally published in 1983 in _The Big Boy's Book of 1001 Things to do in Zero Gravity with a Federation Hand Blaster_.


End file.
